Indian athletes top the list of dope offenders

New Delhi: India has the most number of athletes on the list of offenders who were caught for doping under International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) rules.

In the latest IAAF list of dope offenders updated till October 31, a whopping 40 Indian athletes figured in the list out of 204 dope offenders all over the world.

Among the top Indians in the list were double Asian Games gold medallist Ashwini Akkunji and other top quarter-milers Mandeep Kaur and Sini Jose who were caught by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) in Indian athletics' worst doping scandal that hit the headlines last year.

The tests of all the 40 Indian athletes were done in the last three years.

India has never won an Olympic medal and the country has just one medal in World Championships - a bronze won by Anju Bobby George in long jump in 2003.

But the number of dope cheats produced by the country in three years would be something to be ashamed of.

The number of athletes caught for doping in recent years is now more than that of the weightlifters who earlier topped the list of dope offenders in Indian sport.